


What Lingers In The Shadows

by dragon_of_ice



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Kadara plot, M/M, Political Intrigues, Sequel, and lots of romance, custom Ryder siblings, kett menace?, the outcasts won timeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-04 07:13:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13359177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragon_of_ice/pseuds/dragon_of_ice
Summary: A year ago, Madi Ryder or the Human Pathfinder saved Heleus and the Andromeda Initiative. However, there are still many loose ends pending on the galaxy, and the fight isn't over yet. When the Kadara outpost asks for help, she has to interrupt the Pathfinder training for her brother and fly there to face her old demons. Paul Ryder, on the other hand, falls easily in love with the planet in which nothing is how it seems to be.AKA we are not having a DLC, so there is a lot of room left for imagination lol





	1. The Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!  
> As I mentioned in the tags/summary, this is supposed to be a sequel for the Kadara plot in the timeline when Sloane won over the Collective. I had this idea after finishing the game for second time, as I had the feeling we weren't really seeing the end of it, and found out that the DLC had been cancelled. I started to daydream about the possible outcomes we were missing out, and so this self-indulgent fic was born.
> 
> One last thing- English is not my first language, and although I am highly proficient in it, I know there could be some typos and a weird prose. So I apologize in advance for it.  
> (I accept criticism, I don't even have a beta reader so I could really use it).

 

The first thing he noticed when he stepped outside the ship was the faint smell of sulfur that permeated the air. It merged with the food’s smell from the street stalls and the fuel’s, which came from the ships docked in the port. The color lights of the several neon signs danced along with the shadows that the buildings projected over the traffic of passers-by in the roadway. The variety of identifiable species and castes among the crowd moved him, for a moment, to places so far in time and space that they could have belonged to another life. And between the continuous movements of the city, a pair of feline blue eyes crossed with his. The exchange was as intense as it was brief, and right away he knew that they were being watched in that place.

“Paul, are you listening to me?”

Paul turned with a start, meeting his sister's frown.

“Sorry, I was distracted,” he said, taking out his earphones.

“I hate this habit of yours of listening to music everywhere.” The tone was of disapproval, but her expression had softened. Paul knew that Madi was not really angry at him, but the stress that came with her work as a Pathfinder had hardened her mild temper over the past two years. Paul did not blame her, on the contrary, he admired what she had become. He missed the sister he had left behind in the Milky Way nonetheless, along with so many other things. “I was saying that our first priority is to meet with the leader of the Outcasts. After that, I can make you a tour of the planet, if you wish” she commented, as they approached a building guarded by some armed people. “Although, to be honest, it may be me who needs that tour. Kadara has grown a lot since I was here last, Omega would have nothing to envy...”

The guards allowed them to pass after confirming the identity of the Pathfinder. And Paul had the feeling that the buildings loomed threateningly over them, as they crossed the door that led to the nerve center of the city.

Madi had briefly illustrated him about the history of the planet and its political development, apparently as delicate and flammable as the personality of its present mayor. The relationship between the Outcasts and the Nexus was purely of convenience, and although both needed each other, the Initiative outpost had warned about the increasing tensions between the both factions. Finally, the Outcasts had sent a request of communication with a representative member of the Nexus, presumably the Human Pathfinder.

“Ryder,” the woman stretched out on the throne in front of them did not have the look or bearing of a leader, but her voice denoted the authority of a person with immense power. She watched the three people standing before her with a gesture of disdain and, out of the corner of his eye, Paul saw Vetra crossing her arms. “I was waiting for you.”

“Sloane,” Madi returned, with the same reluctance. “The Nexus listens to whatever you have to say.”

Sloane sat up and adopted a serious countenance.

“The information I have to share may not be as relevant to the Nexus as it is to you,” she said. “Kett activity has been sighted in the area, specifically on the outskirts of the planet.”

Madi blinked in surprise. They all expected some kind of political negotiation or, at least, some veiled threat towards the director Tann. Actually, anything but kett.

“Excuse me? There have been no signs of kett activity for at least a year, since I defeated the Archon.”

“Indeed, hence my concern. You know, Kadara is now the most populated planet of Heleus after Meridian, and after the kett defeat I feared possible some kind of counterattack... Am I wrong?”

Sloane leaned forward in her seat, and silence reigned for a moment in the room.

“No, you're not wrong,” Madi finally answered, the puzzlement clearly drawn on his face.

“So,” Sloane leaned again on the back of the throne, fixing her glance on the Pathfinder. “I hope I can count on your collaboration to investigate this, Ryder.”

“Of course,” Madi did not hesitate this time. “It's my job.”

“All right then. In a few hours I will send you the locations where we have found traces of the mentioned activity. In the next days I will await for a report with your professional opinion on the matter.”

Madi nodded, and Sloane did a gesture of dismissal with her hand.

The three of them turned in the direction of the exit door, when Sloane's voice interrupted them from behind.

“One last thing, Ryder,” they heard her. “Who is the new face that accompanies you?”

“It’s my brother," Madi said, turning to look at her. “Paul Ryder.”

“Yes, I can see the resemblance between the two of you...” she commented amused, looking at Paul from top to bottom, devoided of subtleties. “I hope he doesn’t make any trouble, belonging to your family does not exempt him from the rules.”

She repeated the gesture of farewell, and Madi went back to the door, frowning for the second time that day.

 

 ***

 

Paul chewed on a protein bar as he watched his sister walking in circles in the meeting room. Not long ago the whole team had been there too, discussing the news. Surprise and restlessness had been the main emotions for the meeting, and Paul wholehearted emphasized with them. Although his encounter with the kett had been pretty short, the memories of those moments still haunted him in dreams. Maybe the physical and psychological sequelae would accompany him for the rest of his life.

“SAM, is it possible the kett have returned?” Madi asked, breaking the silence.

“It is,” the synthetic voice of the artificial intelligence replied. “Primus warned of his eventual return. We know that the kett hierarchy did not end in the Archon. It was a matter of time before they manifested again.”

“But, so soon?” Madi sighed on the center table, covering her face under her arms.

Vetra approached her and rested a comforting hand on her back. The turian never went too far away from her side, and although Madi had not spoken directly to Paul about the subject yet, he didn’t need an oral confirmation to know what was going on between the two women.

“Hey,” Paul called from the other side of the round table, “do not get discouraged. We still do not know anything about this supposed activity. They could be isolated kett settlements that you forgot to clean at the time, or just a false alarm. Shit happens.”

“He has a point,” Vetra added. Paul liked Vetra, and the feeling was mutual.

Madi lifted her head languidly from her arms and a smile lit her face.

“Paul...” she whispered “Fuck, I wish you'd been here with me when I woke up from cryo. It would have been much easier to deal with all this mess.”

“Yeah, sorry about that… it's not the first party I miss because of a nap anyway. You know I am a scatterbrain,” Paul chuckled, and Madi followed him.

“I'm tired for today," Madi said after a moment. “I'm going to bed now. Tomorrow, if I have spare time, we can do that tour.” Paul knew that it was most probably not going to happen, but he appreciated the gesture.

The three muttered some farewell words, and Madi came down the stairs along with her turian lady.

Paul was left alone in the meeting room, looking out through the windows of the ship. He could see the twinkling of the neon lights in the distance, and the dull thud of local music rose to the stars in the stillness of the night. He threw away the wrapper of the protein bar and moved to get his earphones and a jacket. He had already had enough sleep in the past 602 years, he just decided.

 

 ***

 

He wandered the streets of the Port, paying attention to the environment surrounding him. The night was being as bustling as it was during daytime. Although in that place it was a difficult task to distinguish one thing from the other, since the planet was always under some kind of permanent twilight. After following a group of drunken angara, he realized that his steps had led him to the outskirts of the city, on a lower level. For some reason, although sharing geographical position, Paul felt that this area belonged to another place, or to another people. The buildings were hidden among the land’s rock formations, mimicking the natural darkness of their surroundings. As well as its population, which moved discreetly between the traveling kiosks and the acid puddles that encircled the urban center. A great neon stood proud among the others, and Paul entered intrigued in this place under the name of Tartarus. He took his earphones off, as the music inside was already strong enough. A series of dancers from different species were sensually dancing after bars, in cubicles attached to the walls of the room. And the place was as full as the other one he had visited briefly on the upper level, minutes before. However, although the environment was visually and musically more loaded, Paul could have sworn that a strange stillness could be breathed in the atmosphere, dense and impenetrable, like those clouds that announce storm in the distant sky. A salarian, surrounded by women, was watching Paul from his couch in a corner, and Paul felt a slight chill run down his spine. Smoke from the tobacco pipes interposed between them for a while, and the restlessness seized Paul for the first time since they had landed on that planet. He approached the bar and asked for something to drink, after pondering that his best choice was to go unnoticed among the locals. The concoction that they served him was far from what he used to have back in the Purgatory centuries ago. But he didn’t care, since he appreciated anything containing alcohol in this situation. Maybe it was about time to go back to the Tempest, he began to consider, when the feeling of being watched again interrupted his mental soliloquy. He looked up, alarmed, expecting to meet with the salarian womanizer. Instead, warm human eyes were studying him cautiously from a meter away.

“You look like you are waiting for someone,” the man who was by his side commented. And, even though his tone of voice was quite low, Paul could perfectly heard him over the loud noise that dominated the club. The stranger’s attitude was so affable that Paul could not help but to look confused at the bottom of his glass, wondering how much alcohol he had already consumed. The man smiled, noticing his bewilderment, and Paul felt the temperature of his ears alarmingly rising. He cleared his throat.

“I wish,” he said jokingly, feeling himself infected by the apparent cordiality of his interlocutor. “This planet is way too interesting to explore it all on my own, don’t you think?” Paul was thinking of his sister. The information provided by Sloane, true or not, was going to keep Madi busy in the following days.

The stranger narrowed his eyes, as if meditating on the words he had just heard, and adopted a mysterious smile.

“Well,” he said, pushing aside his drink in the bar, “that certainly has an easy solution.”

He got up and headed towards the exit of the club, inviting Paul with his eyes to follow him. Paul shook his head, attributing all that scene to the effects of the drink he just had. Finally, he shrugged, paid generously to the barman, and stepped through the sea of intoxicated people that separated him from the doors and from that pair of enigmatic sand-colored eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is going to take 6-7 chapters altogether, but let's see how far I reach.  
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated <3


	2. The Little King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Régulo (or Regulus in English) is a Roman cognomen meaning "prince, little king", a diminutive of Latin rex "king".

A fine drizzle splashed onto his face as soon as he stepped outside the club, and Paul closed his eyes to concentrate on the sensation. The familiarity of the smell of wet earth made him forget briefly that he was in another galaxy, light-years away from his home, and the feeling of melancholy that invaded him was beginning to not be a novelty. He had been consciously living in Andromeda for a year, but the idea was still alien to him.

“I would step away from the rain if I was you,” he listened near him. Paul opened his eyes, and there it was the stranger from the bar, under the shadow of a facade, still looking at him with mild curiosity. “The Pathfinder did a good job with the planet's Remnant technology the last time she was around, but the acid rain still appears from time to time.”

Paul obeyed and approached him to cover himself under the same building. He had just noticed the strong accent that enveloped the words of the man, but when he was going to open his mouth to ask about it, the other went ahead.

“I think I understood before that you're interested in knowing Kadara," he said. “It might sound arrogant, but I think I could be a good candidate to show it to you.”

“You don’t say. Have you been living here for a long time?” Paul asked, surprised by the security with which the other man spoke.

“Practically since the Nexus arrived in the galaxy... if a couple of years sounds like a long time to you,” he answered, discarding the topic. “Well, what do you say? Can I count on the pleasure of your company to take a walk around my planet?”

Paul hesitated for a minute, bewildered by the unexpected proposal of the stranger.

 _What in hell could he want from me?_ He thought, as he heard the rain falling around him. _Wait... is he trying to flirt with me?_

He looked away from the wet streets and examined the person in front of him for the first time. Suddenly, his suspicions didn’t seem so unpleasant to him. A tanned skin framed the soft features of a man in his late twenties, and that smile that greeted him at the bar still remained, undaunted, on his full lips. At that same moment, a hand went through his hair, combing it back, and dark strands fell over his forehead. His huge eyes stared shamelessly back at him, waiting for an answer. And Paul found himself wanting to discover the mystery behind his impenetrable expression.

“Sure,” he said at last. “Why not?”

The stranger's eyes flashed and, widening his smile, he extended a hand to Paul.

“Régulo Vergara, at your disposal”.

“Paul” he introduced himself, shaking Régulo's hand. “Paul Ryder.”

“That's a name that rings a bell,” Régulo commented as he started walking towards the city. “Won’t you have any connection with the acting Pioneer, by any chance?”

Paul laughed and went after him.

“Slightly. Let's say I've known her since our mother conceived us in her womb.”

“Oh, I thought that much,” he said. “I may have heard something about the lost twin of the Ryder family.” He turned his head to look directly at Paul's face. “And to be honest, I can see the resemblance.”

Paul frowned. Régulo almost spoke as if he knew Madi personally, and he could have sworn that his comment was practically identical to the one he had heard hours ago from Sloane's mouth.

“So what did you say you do for a living here?” He couldn’t help but to ask. Régulo turned around again, and for his grimace, Paul guessed he has sounded too suspicious.

“Okay, it seems fair to me that you want to know your tour guide,” Régulo agreed, replacing the grimace with a more cheerful expression. “But wouldn’t be better if we first took advantage of the calm that the night gives us to know Kadara?” He extended his arms and pointed around.

Paul nodded, relieved by the kindness his self-proclaimed guide manifested. And, if he really was as familiar with the alleys of that planet as he was claiming, he could not have asked for a better guide.

 

***

 

It had stopped raining when the light of dawn broke through the clouds and the tops of the buildings. Paul was sitting on one of the roofs, one leg swinging over the abyss and the look lost in the horizon. Of all the planets he had visited so far with his sister, this was undoubtedly one of his favorites, hand in hand with the angara planet, Aya.

“Well, what do you think of what you've seen so far?” He heard Régulo asking by his side.

Paul looked away from the recently lit streets, nearly empty at that early time of the morning, and turned to look at his companion, who was sat a few inches away from him. Last night he had honorably performed his role as a tour guide but, in addition, Paul had found himself fully enjoying his company. There was something about the other man whose closeness he found most comfortable. He even felt that he could talk to him so naturally that it was hard to remember that they’ve known each other for less than twenty-four hours. During the time they spent together in the city, they exchanged some information about their past and current lives, among other topics of conversation. Paul even felt like talking about experiences such as the death of his parents or his period as a soldier in the Alliance. On his part, Régulo told him about his past as a pilot back in the Milky Way, although he had found his skills as a smuggler and businessman to be more useful in this new galaxy _. “I'm good with words”_ , he had said, when Paul showed interest in the sudden change of profession. He also told him about the riot in the Nexus when they had just arrived to Andromeda, and the desperation that everyone in there felt when they found themselves alone, lost in the absolute nothingness. The so called Outcasts decided to build their own future then, from which the Port of Kadara was born, and the story fostered Paul's already present admiration he was feeling for the planet. Director Tann simply dismissed them as criminals, but Paul had learned during his time as a soldier not to judge based on blacks and whites.

“I like it,” Paul answered with a smile. “It has merit that this is our most advanced colony, in spite of all the chaos you’ve been through”.

Régulo looked pleased.

“As soon as I saw you in the Tartarus, I figured you would be the kind of person who would understand what we are doing here,” he said, alluding to their first meeting, and rekindling the initial suspicion that Paul had felt.

“Hey, Re... can I call you that?”

Régulo nodded, surprised by the nickname but also amused. Paul continued:

“Why did you offer to accompany me in the first place?” He said, feeling how his saliva thicken while he asked the question. “Do you expect me to pay you?”

Régulo laugh startled Paul.

“Is there nobody left who believes in altruism anymore?” He returned the question, keeping the smile on his face. “Besides, I will not pretend not to have enjoyed your company last night.”

Paul felt the heat rising again on his ears. If Régulo was being honest, his appearance had been a nice surprise, since he couldn’t deny the chemistry that existed between them. When was the last time he had made a friend? All his social life had remained in the Citadel, in the Milky Way, and the unexpected presence of this person had made him feel, for a few hours, less alone in this strange place.

The gaze Régulo gave him was intense, thoughtful, and Paul could see the interest was reciprocal. Although the words he spoke afterwards might well have meant the opposite:

“Listen, Paul...” he said, "it’s been a pleasure, but now that it's dawn I have some business to attend.” He got up, ready to part. Paul followed him, hiding his disappointment with great difficulty. “But what I said before was true, so if at any time you come back to the area, well, let me know.”

Régulo extended a hand, but Paul, affectionate by nature, gave him a brief hug.

“Do not doubt it,” he accepted the offer, pleased to see that he had turned the tables, and it was now the other man who was fighting against the blush that spread across his cheeks. “I haven’t seen yet the wild area of the planet, and since my sister is a tremendously busy woman, I am afraid I will need my favorite guide for the quest.”

“I assume you are satisfied with my services, then,” Régulo chuckled. “We have a deal, Ryder. Until next time.”

Paul watched him getting down from the roof, and he lost sight of him when he mixed up in the crowd, whose activity began to manifest in the streets of the city as the morning progressed. When Paul finally set out on his way back to the Tempest, he realized that he had forgotten to ask his new friend for a means of contact.

Madi found herself face to face with him as soon as he crossed the floodgates.

“Paul!” She exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms. Paul realized she was wearing the battle armor. “Have you been out all night?”

Paul smiled sadly. It had been a year since he had woken up from his coma, and his vital functions had now returned to normal. Heck, he felt in top form, but his sister was still being too overprotective with him.

“Yes…?”

“Are you going to tell me what you've been doing?”

“I will. Now I urgently need to take a break,” he added, feeling the weight of the lack of sleep suddenly hitting him.

“Of course, of course,” Madi said, sympathetic as always. “We'll talk later. I hope to see you around here when I return from investigating the outskirts.” She gave him a disapproving look before heading towards the hatch. Vetra and Cora were following her, and greeted Paul as they passed by him. “Rest well, little bro!”

The floodgates closed behind them, and Paul used the energy he had left to search for his cot through the ship.

He slept deeply and dreamless, and when he woke up, Madi had already came back. Paul could heard her talking to the rest of the crew as he pecked something in the kitchen room. Apparently, they had found no trace of kett activity so far, only abandoned facilities.

“Isn’t it better that way?” he heard Peebee comment, as he left the kitchen to meet the others.

“I’ve told you it could be a false alarm,” Paul said when he arrived, opening the wrapping of an energetic bar.

“Little Ryder,” Peebee greeted. “Hey, you have to stop eating so much! You are leaving us without supplies in the pantry all by yourself.” She added, noticing what he was carrying in his hand.

“What do you want me to say, Peeb, my metabolism requires me to have a serious relationship with the food,” Paul joked.

Peebee put her hands on her hips, ready to reply, and Madi sighed.

“Guys, you can retire,” said, tiredness present in her voice.

Peebee looked at Paul for a long time, while he shrugged innocently, before obediently follow the others downstairs.

“I think she likes you,” Madi commented once they were alone, with a mischievous smile. “Why are you always so popular with the asari?”

“Let me think… It could be my undeniable charisma, my Apollonian body or maybe my magnetic appealing...” Paul teased.

“Please, stop,” Madi cut him off laughing, and Paul was relieved to see his sister releasing some of the tension.

“You do not seem very happy to know that there are no kett around,” he pointed out.

“It's not like that...“ Madi sighed, massaging the back of her neck with one hand. “It’s just... that there is something strange in all this. I have sent the information to Sloane, but she insists that we must continue with the search. She also told me that some people have disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the recent weeks. Paul, what if the kett have changed their strategy, what if they have discovered that the straight forward approach does not work anymore and they are going to kidnap us one by one from the shadows? It's like one of those horror vids we used to watch when we were kids.”

Paul nodded, understanding the severity of her ruminations, and put an arm around her sister's shoulders.

“Whatever we discover, I'm sure it’s not going to stand a single chance against you.”

“Thank you,” Madi said, a shy smile flourishing on her face. “I needed to hear that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I feel like I have to explain myself: Régulo is obviously Reyes. My headcanon is that Reyes would eventually came back to Kadara and return to his usual activities... but under a pseudonym. Only Sloane and the Pathfinder saw him revealing himself as the Charlatan, and I expect the rest of the population to have forgotten about him with the course of time. I know it's weird to read another name, but trust me, it's 100% him.  
> Madi didn't flirt with him when they met, by the way, she already had a crush on Vetra by then.
> 
> I did a sketch of my two Ryders a couple of months ago, in case someone wants to see how they look like: https://egobarriart.tumblr.com/post/168297499245/she-is-the-brain-and-he-is-the-rock-n-roll
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated <3


	3. The Bad Omen

They spent the rest of the evening collecting data about the kett and plotting about their next move. The next day, Madi had already left the Tempest when Paul woke-up.

“Paul!” Liam greeted the second he stepped into the kitchen.

“Hey…” Paul returned lazily, still half asleep.

“Any plans for today?” Liam was staring at him with a smile, a cup of coffee between his hands. The English man had been the first member of her sister’s crew Paul had met, and he had never been condescending with him regardless of his state after the fight with The Archon - thing he really valued. Paul discovered, over time, that they shared similar interests, such as Earth pop culture and vintage music bands. They got along very quickly.   

“Not really,” Paul said, rummaging in the food drawers “but I accept suggestions.”

“That’s the spirit,” Liam chuckled “I’ve thought on going out and take a look into the alleged disappearances Sloane mentioned. You know, some field work. And I could use a hand.”

Paul poured a handful of Blast-O into his mouth, thoughtfully. He knew Liam was once a cop, in another life back on the Milky Way, and old habits die hard.

“Does Madi know about this?” he asked.

“No. BUT I don’t think she would mind,” Liam said, leaving his cup aside, along with the pile of other dirty dishes. “I mean, she doesn’t have the time to do this on her own, and I think it could be useful to gather some information from civilians… right?”

“Ok,” Paul simply answered. He didn’t see any harm on this plan of him, and Madi did need all the help she could get “let’s go.”

He dropped the cereals box and headed towards the hatchway. Liam followed, surprised by the boy’s sudden initiative.

They wandered through the streets, searching for the identity of the missing persons and asking those who could be potential witnesses. In the afternoon, they decided it was a good time to take a break, so they sat to enjoy a bowl of ramen from one of the street stalls they encountered on their way. Liam started to eat immediately, and Paul took a moment to look around him. The pathway smelled like smoke and secrets, but the people walking across it didn’t seem to notice the heaviness that lingered over them. Something shady was going on in that city, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.    

“Well, it’s been a productive day,” Liam commented, and he proceed to slurp a noodle. “We have confirmed the identity of most of them who were vanished, and… Actually, none of the witnesses said a thing about the kett. Like, no one. I kind of feel like we are missing something here, you know?” 

Paul was thinking of an answer, when he suddenly saw a familiar shape behind Liam, standing still among the crowd.

“The kett had never been selective with their victims until now. I wonder if these people had something in common...”

“Sorry to interrupt you, Liam,” Paul cut him off while getting up from his seat, staring at the man in the background. “I think I just saw a friend”.

Without waiting for a reply, he headed towards the man that was surrounded by a group of angaras.

“Re,” Paul greeted, laying a hand on the man’s shoulder.

‘Re’ turned around to look at him, bewilderment plain on his face, which was half hidden beneath a grey scarf. When recognition flashed his eyes, a wide smile settled on his face.  

“Paul,” he acknowledged “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon” Paul smiled back at him. “Nor that I complain…” he added, looking at Paul dead in the eye. Paul mentally cursed, praying for his ears not to betray him this time.

 _There was a reason I used to have longer hair_ , he thought.

“How you doing?” he opted to change the topic.

Régulo turned to look at his angara companions, and adopting a more serious demeanor, he said:

 “Listen, you caught me a little busy right now,” Paul gestured to apologized, but Régulo interrupted him, and drew himself closer. “Why won’t you come tonight to the Tartarus so we can freely chat?”

“It’s a plan,” he agreed. There was a tingle roaming in his stomach before the other man’s proximity. “See you, then.”

Régulo nodded, and Paul went back to his table on the side of the street.

 _Why do I feel like a fucking teenager when he is around?_ He wondered annoyed, while sitting in front of his cooled up ramen.

“Who was your friend?” he heard Liam asking. “I’d swear I have seen him before…”

“Régulo Vergara,” Paul said, focusing on the food again. “Do you know him?”

The gears spinning in Liam’s brain while he was deliberating were almost audible.

“Nah,” he finally spat. And with a shrug, they both finished their meal.

 

*** 

 

The club on the lower floor of Kadara looked just the same. But Paul felt different, more confident, and so he stepped inside with his head held higher than last time. It didn’t take long to find his friend, who was leaning on the bar counter, and reminiscences of the past night assaulted him.

“You look like you are waiting for someone,” Paul teased once he reached him. He leaned on the counter too, and asked for a drink.

“Eh, that’s my line,” Régulo whimpered with a crooked smile. “How is your stay in Kadara going so far?”

“It’s getting better,” Paul said, taking a sip from his drink.

 _What the hell are you doing?!_ He thought uneasy, and took another sip.

Régulo burst a laugh, clearly amused by the situation, and asked for a glass of whisky.

“So why did you come here in the first place, if I may ask?”

“I would like to say I was off on a vacation,” Paul fooled around. “But actually it’s Pathfinder business.”

“Oh? Do I need to worry?” Régulo asked, and although the voice tone was humorous, Paul knew he actually meant it. And he just decided that he didn’t want his new friend to vanish, even when that implied to share classified information with him.

“Well… I don’t know yet. Sloane was not very clear about Kadara’s issues when we arrived.”

“So you’ve met the bitch,” Régulo jested, and Paul stifled a laugh.

He then went on with the story, and told Régulo everything they’ve found out until the date. The kett, the missing people, and every piece of the puzzle. His companion just stood there listening and nodding from time to time, while the drinks kept coming.  

“Maybe you should step aside before things become ugly,” he eventually commented. “I wouldn’t want you to disappear.”

Paul smiled. He found cute that the other man had the same exactly concern as he has had.

 “There is no option,” he answered. “I have to look after my sister.”

Régulo gave him a veiled look, but said nothing. Then they moved onto more frivolous conversation topics as the night progressed.

It was late, and Paul knew Régulo was talking because he was moving his lips, since he had stopped listening long time ago. The poor lighting of the place, along with the continuous movement of the spotlights, was making a hypnotic chiaroscuro game on the other man face. And Paul started to wonder what was he doing there, and why did he feel so close to a person he just met. He suddenly realized that Régulo was silent, staring at him. Paul gulped.  

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, his expression oddly still.

“I am not sure,” Paul muttered, looking away. The dizziness that followed the motion made him think he had already drank too much. He took another sip, nevertheless.

Régulo opened his mouth, but a turian intercept him before he could release a sound.

“You!” the turian yelled. He emanated a strong liquor scent. “Where is my brother? What have you done to him?”

“Excuse me?” Régulo stood up with a grim demeanor.

“Don’t play the ignorant,” the turian blurted out, sticking a bony finger on his chest. “I know who you are”.

Régulo directed his hand to his right leg, but the turian was quicker, and he had already drawn his weapon. In a blink of an eye, the gun was sent flying through the air, and Paul was all over the alien, surrounded by an aura of biotic energy. He punched him blindly, drunk with alcohol and fear, and the black blood splattered his face. Right after overcoming the initial confusion, a group of people separated them and took the bruised turian off of the club. 

“Are you alright?” Régulo approached Paul, who stood there, looking how his victim was dragged through out the door.

“I acted automatically,” he confessed, turning his face to look at Régulo. “I hope I didn’t fucked up.”

“No. In fact, I should thank you for your intervention,” Régulo chuckled. “I didn’t know you were a biotic.” 

Paul smiled foolishly.

“That’s nothing. There’s so much more I could show you…” a nausea squeezed his throat, preventing him from saying more nonsense. He crouched to the side, hardly suppressing the vomit, and felt how his legs were beginning to fail.

 _Don’t ever mix alcohol with biotics_ , he thought just before collapsing.

 

 ***

 

The first thing he felt was the faint reddish light that leaked through his eyelids, and a feeling of strangeness invaded him. When he opened his eyes, he understood. There were no windows in his room on the Tempest. He tried to sit up to scan his surroundings, but a huge headache stopped him in the act. He rested his head on the pillow once more, recovering from the shock, when he suddenly felt the rhythmic come and go of a breathing at his side. He slowly turned towards the origin of the sound, and faced the scrutiny of a pair of well-known clever eyes.

“Hey,” Régulo whispered. His expression was placid, and his hair disheveled. Paul guessed that it had not been long since he had woken up too.

“Hey,” Paul also whispered.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, with a warm smile. Paul blinked stunned, the memories from last night finally arriving. Régulo noticed his embarrassment and adopted a worried gesture. “I am sorry you had to wake up in a strange place. I brought you here last night when you blacked out, I thought it wasn’t a good idea to move you too much in your state. I didn’t came with a better solution than to bring you here.”

“No, no,” Paul hastened to correct him. “It should be me the one who apologizes, you’ve been too nice to me… and I was a mess last night.”

“An appropriate mess,” Régulo added, amused. “I don’t know what would have happened there if it wasn’t for you and your… hidden qualities.”

Paul then remembered the last thing he had said just before falling down, and felt the blush surpassing the ear area. Régulo smiled fondly at him, and placed a hand over Paul’s head. He caressed his short hair softly, almost like he feared he was going to shatter beneath his touch, and his fingers slowly descended down to the nape. Paul released the air he had been holding up into his lungs in a trembling sigh, and Régulo approached him to seal their mouths into a tender kiss. He quickly moved back, hesitant, and Paul grasped his chin to bring him closer again. Régulo dropped the hand that had been resting on Paul’s neck all through his back, and Paul shuddered under the feeling. He perceived how Régulo’s lips formed a smirk against his, and began to withdraw from him to comment something, but the attempt was aborted when Paul pounced on him to bit his lower lip. Régulo moaned, and Paul overwhelmed by the emotions, slipped his tongue into the other man’s mouth, searching for the answers to the questions he didn’t dare to ask. The two of them kissed ardently, while their limbs entangled each other’s and their hands traveled their bodies across untidy clothes. Paul broke the kiss to take a breath, and realized they were so close he found hard to tell where one began and the other ended. Régulo was vehemently staring at him through hooded, dark, eyes, and Paul wondered if they were still under the influence of the alcohol, or whether there was something real behind all that. His hand vaguely roamed under Régulo’s t-shirt, ready to undress him, when he encountered some kind of relief crossing the skin of his spine. Paul delicately studied the length of the scar with his fingers, and directed an interrogatory look at his friend.

“Why did you come here?” Régulo asked instead, a frown beginning to form between his eyebrows.

“I’ve told you last night…” Paul muttered confused.

“No. Why did you come to Andromeda?”

He didn’t know. A future? A new opportunity to get closer to his father? A way to run away from his military life? To find his place among the stars?

Régulo’s omni-tool suddenly ringed, ceasing his thought thread, and breaking the spell that hanged onto them in the room. Régulo stood up to check it out, and Paul felt the cold taking the place his absence had left behind.

“Paul…” he began.

“I know. Now that it’s dawn you have some business to attend,” Paul said, sitting up on the bed. “It’s ok.”

“Well, yes. Thank you for understanding,” Régulo chuckled and got up from the bed, tidying up his clothes. “I wish I didn’t have to leave things like this. I would like to see you again, if that’s okay…”

“Sure,” Paul said hastily, and mimicked the other man’s actions. “I remember you owe me a tour of the unoccupied area of the planet.”

“How to forget it,” he jested, while he was writing something on his omni-tool. “Come meet me at the end of the day in the city doorway. Bring proper equipment, you never know what can be waiting out there for you.”  

 

 ***

 

When Paul returned to the ship, he bumped into Jaal and Liam chatting in the crew quarters. They greeted him in unison when they saw him enter.

“What’s up?” Paul said, heading to the bathroom to have a shower.

“What’s with the blood?” Liam asked frowning.

“Ah,” he articulated, contemplating the dark splatter that stained his usually flawless Initiative t-shirt. “Nothing serious, just a bar fight.”

Liam and Jaal looked at each other.

“I didn’t think you were the conflicting type, Ryder,” Jaal stated, curiosity flattering in his eyes.

“Me neither,” Paul laughed, while he was taking off his t-shirt and looking for clean clothes. “Have you seen Madi?”

“She just left,” Liam said. “And she asked about you, too.”

Paul nodded absently, walking into the bathroom cubicle.

“I’d like to speak with you, when you are finished,” he added. “I think I’ve discovered something.”

Paul nodded again and closed the door behind him.

The water felt warm and nice over his skin, and his body stood there under the stream, but his mind was far away, in another room and in another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly working on this story. I think it's going to be shorter than I initially planned, but I hope you find it interesting nonetheless. I am trying to improve my writing too! And remember that feedback is always welcome. :) <3


	4. The Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, next chapter is up. This took more time than expected, writing is hard... :|  
> Anyways, hope you like it! 
> 
> PS: Thank you to all of you who had already left kudos and commented! <3

Paul took a long look at the weapons stored in the gun cabinet, deciding to take a small pistol with him at last. He preferred to travel light, and after two years of successful settlement on the planet, he highly doubted there were any real dangers out there. He put on a light armor and took off to go meet Liam. There was some excitement in his movements, after all, he hadn’t had a date since… well, since way too long. And he felt eager to make the most of it, to finally start his new life.

“Liam?” he asked. The bedchamber was dark and empty, although Paul could hear Drack snorting somewhere on the ship. He turned around, ready to go in his search, when he felt the weight of someone colliding with him.

“Hey,” Peebee let out, visibly embarrassed.

“Hey, have you seen Liam? He had to tell me something.”

“What am I your secretary now?” she said looking away, arms crossed.

“Forget it,” he was certainly not in the mood for teases, so he pushed the woman aside and motioned to leave the room.

“Wait,” she called from behind, grabbing his arm. “He left the Tempest with Jaal, about fifteen minutes ago.”

“I see… “

 _Well, that’s weird_ , he thought.

“Thank you.”

Peebee eyed his clothing, which was not casual at all. “Where are you going?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“None of your business!” he answered back, removing his arm from her grip.

“OK, OK,” she replied with a grin. “You are no fun of late.”

“Fuck off,” he chuckled.

She chuckled back and got into the bathroom. When Paul lost sight of her, he roamed the ship, waiting for Liam to eventually show up.

In his loitering he found Liam’s room open, and he couldn’t help but to throw himself onto the couch inside of it. That piece of junk was the only familiar thing they kept around, and he remembered one of the first conversations Liam and him had had. It had been a nostalgic kind of evening, and so the man had told him about his car, which was travelling through the space right now, and then he had asked him if there was something he missed from home. He did.

Paul raised his left arm and opened the omni-tool. Pictures of the past passed in front of his eyes then. In one of them, he was sitting in his old apartment, playing his guitar. In the next one, he was with his band giving a concert in the Afterlife. The following was a sloppy selfie of his best friend and himself. He stared at the blurry masked face of his friend, and felt a lump in the throat when the lost state of the Quarian Ark suddenly came to his mind. A message popped out on his omni-tool screen, covering the photograph.

_Paul, come to the Kralla’s Song, I am here with Jaal. There’s something you should see._

_Liam_

He quickly got up and headed towards the hatch. His pistol hung heavy in his side, and after a second of consideration, he picked it up and let it on the operating table that crossed midway to the exit. It wasn’t allowed to carry guns into the city, but he could come back to retrieve it later.

By the time he arrived at the club, he could feel the sweat sticking onto his skin under the armor. The place was almost empty, and there were no signal of Liam, nor Jaal. The asari waitress was already sending him a judgmental glare when he approached the bar.

“Excuse me,” Paul said, still scanning the room. “Have you seen a human and an angara hanging out around here?”

“Yes. They left.” A frown was drawn on her lips. “Are you going to take a drink or what?”

Paul pondered the -not that gentle- proposal.

“Fine,” he finally accepted. “I’ll take a beer.”

“We don’t have that.”

“Well, then, the cheapest stuff you have.”

She raised her brows with weariness, and gave him a glass filled with some kind of green beverage.

“Great…,” he muttered, and went to sit on one of the vacant tables, waiting yet again for his friend to return.

The fluid that rested in between his hands could have been absinthe, if it wasn’t for the bitterly fragrance that emanated from it. A single bubble popped on the surface, and a worried wrinkle formed on Paul’s forehead.

“Looks tasty,” a female voice commented near him.

He looked up to face Peebee’s smug smile.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded dumbfounded.

She snorted. “I could ask you the same question,” and proceeded to sit in front of him. “Fancy outfit to go bar hopping… alone.”

“I am not alone,” Paul pouted, giving up on his drink. “I was supposed to meet with Liam and Jaal.”

“And they are not here?” she looked around, searching for them.

Paul shook his head.

“That’s odd,” Peebee pointed out.

“Yeah, no shit,” he said, rubbing his hair with a gloved hand.

“What’s the plan? Are you going to sit here whining all day?”

“Hell, no.”

She smiled.

“I am finding them,” he continued, the determination blooming in his words.

Her smile vanished.

He extracted his omni-tool and called Liam on the phone, but there was no response. He tried again, this time with Jaal. Still no luck.

“Alright, perhaps I have to be more active on my search,” he said, rising from his sit.

“I am coming with you,” Peebee proclaimed, mimicking him.

“Why?” Paul inquired, his eyes narrowing. “Are you following me?”

“Can’t I just enjoy your company?” she replied innocently.

“Madi sent you to watch over me, am I wrong?” there was bitterness in his tone. He knew his sister still didn’t trust in his health condition.

“Maybe...“ Peebee looked down, and Paul sighed. “Look, she said you have been acting strange these past days, so she asked me to check out on you. Just a bit, to make sure you are fine.”

He crossed his arms.

“But I *do* enjoy your company,” she quickly added, shrugging.

Paul hesitated a minute, but then glared fondly at her.

“Come on,” he said, turning round on his heels. And happily she went after him.

 

***

 

They looked for the boys in the streets of Kadara, but it seemed as if they were never being there in the first place. Eventually, Peebee parted to ask the passersby.

Paul leaned on one of the buildings walls then, spinning around the matter in his mind. Liam had been investigating the disappearances, what if he had messed with the wrong people? What if he had joined the vanished persons list?

“SAM,” whispered to his omni-tool, fighting the panic that threatened to overtake him.

“Yes, Paul?” the AI answered right away.

“Can you track Liam’s omni-tool down?”

“Positive, but it can take a few minutes,” SAM answered. “I am having some issues to properly localize it at the moment”.

“That’s okay. I’ll wait,” Paul said, just in time to see Peebee returning to him.

“Some people have seen a human and an angara heading to the lower levels of the city,” she informed. “Do you have any idea what kind business they could have in there?”

“Maybe Liam was mistaken, and he typed Kralla’s Song in the email when he meant the Tartarus,” he guessed. “At least, the last time I was there it was more crowded, and the drinks were definitely potable.”

“What?” Peebee looked troubled. “The Tartarus is active once again?”

“I think so?” Paul blinked, confused by Peebee’s sudden serious tone. 

“I am not sure what that means,” she said thoughtful. “That club died along with its owners. Could this mean they are back?”

“Can you be more specific?” Paul requested, increasingly puzzled. “I don’t follow.”

“I am talking about The Collective,” his friend replied, staring squarely at him. “The Tartarus was their base.”

“The Collective?” Paul recalled the name from Madi’s history lessons about the planet. “I thought you defeated them last year.”

“Not quite,” she confessed. “I believe the leader escaped alive, but the Pathfinder wouldn’t talk about the matter.”

They both stood there, silent for a while, looking meditative at the floor.

“Well, then,” Paul broke the silence. “It’s worth taking a look in it.”

Peebee agreed, and so they headed to the lift.

 

***

 

“Be careful,” she said, once they reached the neon sign that preceded the entrance of the club, the one Paul already knew so well. “Reyes Vidal was a dangerous fellow, and your sister would be hella mad at me if you were somehow injured.” There were a shadow of concern flickering in her yellow eyes, and Paul knew that it wasn’t Madi’s reaction what actually worried her.

“Sure,” answered Paul, stepping into the club. “I may be the little brother, but I am a grown man. I need no babysitters.”

“We’ll see that…” a faint smile appeared on Peebee’s face while she went through the door after him.

The inside was as bustling as the other times, but the lack of lighting was almost more prominent if possible. He noticed that the people was discretely looking at them, and Paul assumed they hadn’t forgotten about the show he had provided there last night. But he stood tall, not afraid anymore, and approached the salarian smoker that stayed on the darkest corner of the place.

“Eh,” he called him. “Have you seen a human and an angara walking around together?”

The alien mutely pointed to the door that raised above the stairs. Peebee gave him a meaningful look, but Paul ignored it and went upstairs without a word. She hastily followed him.     

“I knew it,” he heard her from behind. “*He* is fucking involved.”

“What?” Paul stopped. There was an armed man, apparently guarding the door.

“Reyes Vidal. The Charlatan” she whispered, glancing over at the guard. “We used to meet him here.”

“The more reason to go take a look,” he objected, resoluteness flaring in his face. “I am not letting Liam and Jaal down.”

Peebee froze on her feet.

“You are too reckless for a little brother,” she scolded him with a grin. And Paul had to contain himself from saying any silly comment, as usual. “Look, I will distract the guy. Do you think you can sneak inside?”

He hadn’t had a quarian friend and not learned a few tricks from him.

“You bet.”

She winked an eye at him and approached the guard. Paul wasn’t able to catch their conversation, but Peebee successfully took the man away from the door, giving place to Paul’s turn. He drew out his omni-tool and swiftly tried to hack the door’s security system. It wasn’t easy, but he managed to get in after some struggling. He examined the room cautiously, fearing to find its owner inside. For better or worse, it was completely empty. There was some modest furniture, however: a couch, a desk and a shut down computer. He attempted to switch it on, but it seemed to be broken, so instead he sat quietly on the cold couch that was leaning against the wall. He slid a hand on its surface. There was no dust on it, he realized, so it should have been used recently. The glint of a lonely datapad resting over the desk caught his attention, so he extended an arm and took it. He went briefly over the information written on the screen.

 _Male, 24 years_ , Paul read. _Date of birth: March 21, 2163._ _Place of birth: Citadel_. _Parents: dead. Siblings: one. Member of the Systems Alliance military, was assigned to the Arcturus Station outpost. L3 biotic neural implant...._   

“Wait a minute,” he muttered, turning pale. “This is my life record profile.”

He threw away the pad, highly disturbed, a single drop of sweat running down his brow.

“Paul,” the voice of SAM suddenly resonated in the room. “I have spotted Liam’s omni-tool position with a 92.3% accuracy range.”

Paul gave a start.

“Christ, SAM, you almost killed me,” he grumbled, massaging his temples.

“I’ll update you the exact point on your Kadara’s map”, SAM continued, apparently unshaken by Paul’s response.

“Ok. Nice. Thank you,” Paul answered annoyed, and proceeded to get out of the room on the sly. 

The guard hadn’t returned yet, but there were no trace of Peebee either. He finally found her just outside the club, chatting boringly with the door guard.

“Paul!” she exclaimed once she saw him walking out the Tartarus. “Sorry pal, I gotta go.” She left the guy standing there, looking all bewildered, and moved closer to Paul. “Did you find them?”

“No,” Paul said. “But SAM did.”  

Peebee gave him a quizzical look.

 

***

 

The point on the map marked somewhere in the outskirts of the planet, between two hills, and the sun was lower than usual, almost setting, by the time Paul and Peebee arrived to the city doorway. He thought sadly about the date he was about to miss, while the sunlight stung in his eyes, and Peebee was prompting him to get across the toll control before the inspectors could change their minds.

They traveled on foot for about an hour, under the darkening sky and the vapors from the water puddles. Although they had moved fast, it was already nightfall when they finally reached their destination: a tiny entrance that was sticking out over the rocks, under the shadow of the two tall hills. And inside it, the narrow corridor soon splat up in two halves.

“You go left,” Paul stated.

Peebee touched his hand and glared up at him. Although her face was near to his own, it was barely visible to the eye. If it were not for the blueish light of the luminescent mushrooms that plagued the cave walls, there would be no light at all.

“You are no boss of me” she whimpered.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” Paul squeezed her hand a little, and gave her a soothing smile. “But you have to be it too.”

She nodded gloomily, and they parted ways.

Paul didn’t walk long before he found a light announcing the end of the corridor. He followed it, his march hustled, and he felt how the ground ascended progressively before him. Lastly he reached a dead end, a cliff that connected with a broad chamber inside the cave. The sudden brightness hurt his eyes, and he had to cover them with his arm for an instant. When he was finally able look back again at his surroundings, he found out that the light was artificial, and it came from a set of light bulbs distributed on the chamber. He could also see several boxes stored around the place along with some hoists, and he realized the cave was some sort of hidden storage area. There was some movement down there, he noticed, and looking more carefully he spotted the presence of armed people roaming in between the boxes. Two of them stood out among the rest, a dark skinned human and a male angara, who were gagged and tied to each other.

Paul gulped.

“What the f…” he began to say, when his intercom interrupted him.

“Paul, I’ve found something,” Peebee’s voice ringed through his omni-tool. “The passage led me somewhere deep, underground. And... I think this place is full of explosives. What do I do? Should I try to disarm them?”

“Don’t answer,” demanded a voice right behind him, before he could talk. He turned around to meet with a gun that was held just a few inches from him, aiming directly to his face.

“Paul?” Peebee insisted. “Do you copy?”

But Paul was wordless, contemplating the man that stood in front of him with a threatening promise.

“I told you to step aside,” Régulo said. His face was steady and his eyes were looking at Paul like he didn’t know him, cold as ice.

“Re?” Paul stammered. “W-what are you doing?”

Régulo twisted his mouth in a gesture that almost resembled grief, and Paul suddenly noticed that he was holding something in his other hand. A blasting cap, he comprehended, and he could hear a ‘click’ inside him while his mind put two and two together.

“What are you doing?” he repeated, an outraged frown starting to form in his forehead. 

“What has to be done,” Régulo simply asserted, slightly lowering down the gun.

Paul didn’t hesitate a second to take advantage of the slip, and jumped desperately onto the other man, trying to snatch the cap from his hand. Luckily he took Régulo by surprise, and after a brief struggle, he was able to grab the object. They rolled on the ground, and Régulo ended up on top of Paul’s body, the gun pressed back on his head. Paul stretched the arm that carried the cap out of the cliff, over the void, and glared defiantly at Régulo.

“Are you going to shoot me?” he asked.  

Régulo held his gaze quietly, and Paul forgot how to breathe for an instant, which felt like forever. The sound of voices from below brought them back to reality, and they both leaned out of the cliff edge to take a look. Sloane was there, with Madi, Cora and Vetra at her side. They were advancing towards the interior of the cave, when a group of men showed up from behind the boxes and encircled them. Madi and her companions hastily drew their weapons, and Sloane roared with laughter. Madi looked questioning at her.

“It’s time the Nexus pays for its crimes,” Sloane declared, moving forward to her men.

“What are you talking about?” Cora asked.

“There were never any kett,” Madi said, understanding crossing her face. “It’s a trap.”

“Very clever,” Sloane mocked. “But also, very slow.”

“And the disappearances,” Madi went on, her face contorted by the anger, “it was you since the beginning.”

“Me? Those who disappeared were *my* people,” Sloane spat out. “It had to be your Nexus minions, trying to undermine my ruling. I know what you are doing here, and I am putting an end to it.”

Paul turned then his head to look at Régulo, but he wasn’t there anymore. He wasn’t anywhere near him, in fact. The man had utterly vanished. But he had left the blasting cap behind, in Paul’s possession. So he gently placed it on the floor, and looked back at the scene that was developing under him.

“You owe me your life,” Madi cried defenseless. The men had taken her weapons away, as well as Vetra’s and Cora’s, and everyone was aiming at them.  

“It’s a pity you didn’t respect it, Pathfinder,” Sloane said, gesturing her men to capture them.

Paul motioned to pick his pistol up, adrenaline streaming under his skin, but then he remembered he had dropped it in the Tempest the last minute, and that he was unarmed. Except that he had his omni-blade and his biotics, and he had always been too reckless for a little brother. He jumped off the cliff, maneuvering in the air with the help of the dark energy, and landed over the man closest to his sister. Paul stabbed him with the omni-blade, and the man dropped on the spot. He afterward sent a couple of men through the air with a biotic charge, and was able to harm two more with the blade on the way. It was necessary some time to break his shields down, but just a single shot, impacting straight onto his chest, to knock him down.  

“Paul!” Madi yelled out.

He fell. And, once on the ground, he could feel someone kicking him, and some bones falling apart inside of his flesh. The world turned black.  

“Leave him alone!” he weakly heard Madi’s voice, growing more distant.

“Of course. Leave him there, guys,” Sloane commanded, unconcerned.

Everything was spinning around him, and he really needed to close his eyes, although all he wanted was to punch Sloane in the face.

 _Not again_ , he thought, just before losing consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter's name is "the betrayal", but maybe it should have been "the betrayalS" XD 
> 
> As always, feedback is greatly appreciated, even the "negative one", since I always fear my english prose could be somehow illegible...


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